Comprehensive drawer guiding system



May 25, 1965 R. H. RElss, SR., ETAL 3,185,530

COMPREHENSIVE DRAWER GUIDING SYSTEM Filed sept.` '7. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 la ,M x U Il Il QU? M,

' l IMilly' 25., 1955 R. H. RElss, SR., ETAL. 3,185,530 y COMPREHENSIVE DRAWER GUIDING SYSTEM .Filed sept. '7, `1962 2 sheets-sneer 2 22 1NvENToRs f ATToRNEY United States Patent O M 3,185,530 COMPREHENSIVE DRAWER GUIDING SYSTEM Raymond H. Reiss, Sr., Deal, and Paul R. T. Hahn, Westfield, N .J assignors to Ronthor Reiss Corporation, New York, N. a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 222,236 Claims. (Cl. 30S-3.6)

The present invention relates to a drawer guiding system and more particularly to a comprehensive self-lubricating drawer guide member cooperating with a track mounted' on a furniture frame.

It is well known that purchasers and users of furniture having drawers, such as chiffoniers, chests, dressers, desks, Vanities, cabinets and the like, prefer ones in which well fitting drawers slide easily and positively within their apertures over ones which have drawers that are ill fitting, are too snug in humid weather, which unexpectedly tip and fall out when extended past their center of gravity, whose fronts come loose, or which in seating on the skew, chip wood from the drawer and frame and cause the furniture to appear unsightly. This presents a diilioult problem to cabinet makers and furniture manufacturers who in this day of rising capital and labor costs cannotgo through a prodigious number of time consuming and effort expending operations to solve these problems.V Drawer guiding systems that have been devised in the past are either not comprehensive in that they fail to provide a drawer that will look, fit and Work well for vthe expected life of the furniture, or else they involve so much time and eort in their installation that they cannot vbe. incorporated in reasonably priced furniture.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a comprehensive drawer guiding system that can be inexpensively fabricated and installed with a minimum of time and effort assuring that a drawer with which it is associated with look, fit and work well for the expected life of the furniture.

It is another object of thisJ invention to provide` a drawer guiding system wherein `the drawer guide member of the system comprises a unitary piece of self-lubricating plastic material.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a drawer guiding system that guides the drawer associated therewith for the entire length thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a drawer guiding system which restrains the drawer associated therewith from tipping as the drawer is withdrawn past its center of gravity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drawer guiding system in which the construction of the drawer guide member and cooperating track is such that the drawer is prevented from lifting up and getting untracked when the drawer is being operated.

A further object of this invention is to provide a comprehensive drawer guiding system which by reason of its anti-tip and anti-liftup features allows the sides of a `drawer associated therewith to be of less height so that there is no possibility of the drawer sides swelling in humid weather so as to bind between the top and bottom members of the drawer aperture.

An additional object of `the present invention is to priovide a drawer guiding system having centering means whereby sideplay is minimized as the drawer comes home in the frame, thereby avoiding any chipping of the frame and drawer front. p

Yet another object of thisinvention `is to provide aY drawer guiding system having a provision for an outstop whereby the drawer useris warned against accidental withdrawal of the drawer from the frame. i p

It is an object of `the instant invention toprovide a ings, the drawer guide member of the 3,185,530 Patented May 25, 1955 ICC drawer guiding system that allows positive drawer operation with a low level of noise and friction.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a drawer guiding system that may be attached to a drawer so as to furnish a tension tie between the front and back of the drawer and insure'the soundness of the drawer throughout the life of the furniture article.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a drawer guiding system whose drawer associated member can be quickly and positively attached to the underside of a drawer as by staples.

Another object of the invention is to provide a comprehensive drawer guiding system comprising aself-lubrieating molded plastic drawer guide member and a track member, said drawer guidev member being longitudinally slidable with respect to said track member, means molded on said guide member cooperating with means protruding from said track member preventing the longitudinal withdrawal of said guide member from said track member, means molded on said guide member cooperating with means formed on said track member substantially preventing vertical tipping and lifting up of said guide member with respect to said track member and means molded on said guide member centering said guide member with respect to said track member as said guide member is ad'- vanced from a position of less co-extension with said track member to a position of greater co-extension with said track member.

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent and more fully outlined in the following specification and the appended claims.

The invention may best be understood having reference to the attached drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top member of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation View of the drawer guide member of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom member of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section through a furniture article employing the guiding system of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the drawer extended.

FIGURE 6 is a front end elevation view of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a back and elevation view of the invention.`

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8'-8 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional View taken along line 9 9 of FIGURE 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawguiding system is generally indicated at 10. It is formed, preferably by molding, from self-lubricating, somewhat flexible plastic material such as nylon, linear polyethylene, polytetrailuoroethylene or the like. It comprises a relatively thin Hap strip 12 having two integrally molded substantially perpendicular transversely spaced flanges 14 depend- 'ing therefrom. Flanges 14 extending longitudinally to points just short of the ends of the strip 12 leaving tabs 16 and 1S at each end.

Extending intermittently from flanges 14 at a common level near the lower edge thereof in la direction substantially parallel to the strip 12 are guiding fingers 20. The guiding fingers 2) are formed integrally with flanges 14 on the facing surfaces 22 thereof and extend partially across the space between the flanges 14. Rails Z4 may be formed integrally with the lower side of strip 12 between plan view of the drawer guide plan view of the drawer guide said flanges to reduce the contact area in the channel delined by strip 12, flanges 14, guiding fingers and thereby reduce the friction force on the system when it is being used to guide a drawer as will be more fully explained hereinafter. Buttress-like longitudinally spaced ribs 26 extend between points on each of the non-facing sides of the vertical walls of flanges 14 and adjacent points on the outer portions of the element 12. Guiding fingers 2d may have strengthening ribs 28 integr-ally formed on the underside thereof. A pair of nubs 30 act in a manner that will be more fully explained hereinafter as a homing means. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, nubs 30 are molded integrally with and project from the facing surfaces 22 of flanges 14 near one end of the drawer guide member 10. At the opposite end of the drawer guide member 10, an upstanding flange 34 is integrally secured so that it is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface 36 of the strip 12 and is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal `axis of the drawer guide member 10. An out-stop boss 38 is secured to the lower surface 40 of the strip 12 at a point between the rails 24 near the opposite end of strip 12 from nubs 30. Various holes 42 may be formed in the drawer guide member 10 while it is being molded or thereafter to provide for alternative means of fastening member 10 to drawers and to allow for technical requirements of conventional molding processes.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a cooperating track of the guiding system is generally indicated at 44. Track 44 is preferably constructed from wood although it could be of other material such as plastic or metal. Track 44 has a generally T-shaped crosssection so that its upper surface 46 is wider than its body portion 48, this difference in width of cross-section defining two transversely projecting ears 50 which extend, one on either side of member 44 for substantially the lfull length thereof, with the upper surface 46 of member 44 forming the upper surface of each of the ears 50. Track 44 is of substantially the same length as the drawer guide member 10 and the relative configurations of member 44 and member 10 are such that the channel formed by the guiding fingers 7:9, flanges 14 and the lower surface of the strip 12 will receive and partially envelop the projecting ears S0 and allow easy longitudinal sliding movement between member 44 and member 10 when so associated one with the other.

Application of the guiding system of the invention to furniture articles, which application may be part of a mass production furniture assembly operation, comprises inverting a conventional drawer such as 52. In this position, the front 54, back 56 and sides 58 of the drawer point downward, ,and the drawer bottom 6) faces upward. A conventional groove 62 preferably extends across the exposed lower surfaceV of the drawer front 54. Using conventional means such as a template, a drawer guide member 10 of a length slightly shorter than the length of the drawer from front to back, is positioned adjacent the inverted drawer' bottom so that the normally upper surface 36 of strip 12 extends substantially parallel to and halfway between drawer sides 53 from the ront to the back of the drawer. When the member 1t) of the guiding system is properly positioned the inner surface of the inverted upstanding flange 34 contacts the exterior of the drawer back 56, the inverted upper surface 36 of strip 12 contacts the exterior surface of the drawer bottom 60, and the tap 16 at the leading edge of member 10 contacts the bottom of the drawer front 54 within the groove 62. In practice, the member 1th can be quickly positioned by inverting it placing the inverted upstanding flange 34 against the drawer back and sliding the member 10 to a template-drawn positioning line on the drawer bottom 60. When the member 10 is in correct position, it can be quickly secured in place as by fasteners 64 which preferably are staples. Fastener 64 is placed through the center of tab 16 into the bottom of drawer front 54 and at both sides of tab 18 into the bottom of drawer back 56. Additional fasteners 66 may be located through upstanding flange 34 into the drawer back and fasteners 64 may be driven through element 12; however, these additional fasteners 66 are not considered absolutely necessary and add to the furniture article assembly time and cost as the assembler must either move the drawer or the fastener applying means to place fasteners on the upstanding flange 34.

The track 44 of the guiding system is mounted horizontally in a furniture frame in a position corresponding to the position of the drawer guide member 10 on the drawer 52, preferably by a forward screw 68 which passes vertically down through the upper surface 45 of member 44 securing it to a conventional furniture frame stringer 70 which extends between and is secured to the leading edges 71 of furniture frame side walls '72, and by a rearward screw 74 which passes vertically down through the upper surface 46 of member 44 securing it to a strip or block 76 which is conventionally fastened to the rear wall 78 for that purpose.

According to one embodiment of this invention, the forward screw 68 is not fully screwed home but is allowed to project above the upper surface 46 by approximately 1A; inch so that it can coact with out-stop boss 38 as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Assembly of the furniture article is completed by sliding drawer 52 having a drawer guide member 10 of the invention secured to the underside thereof into a drawer compartment of a furniture frame which has a track 44 of the invention secured therein having such a position that ears 5t) on member 44 slide longitudinally in the channels defined by strip 12, flanges 14 and guiding fingers 20 of member 10. As the major portion of all weight force transmitted by the drawer to the frame is transmitted through the rails 24 which ride on the upper surface 46 of member 44 and the guiding lingers 20 which bear on the under surface of ears 50, which are molded from self-lubricating plastic and have a small contact area with member 44, the sliding action takes very little effort and is quite quiet.

As the drawer 52 begins longitudinal movement toward the rear of the compartment, member 1t) slides longitudinally with respect to member 44 and the forward outstop boss 38 first contacts the protruding head of forward screw 68 thcn, with slight urging by the person closing the drawer, passes over it. Continued longitudinal advance of the drawer toward the rear of its compartment moves guide member 1) into greater co-extension with track 44 and causes nubs 30 located on the interior sides 22 of flanges 14 near the drawer front to contact the ver- -tical edges of ears Sil. Nubs 30 tend to align member 10 with member 44, and in so doing square the closing drawer with the drawer compartment. This is a significant feature as it positively deters a person who may be closing the drawer by pushing on the drawer front near one corner thereof, from advancing the drawer askew and chipping or marring the veneer of the drawer front or furniture frame front as the edge of the drawer and frame contact each other. The nubs 30 assure that the drawer will square itself with respect to a horizontal skew as it comes home in the compartment.

The drawer 52 is positively prevented from being accidentally lifted up off the guiding system (i.e. being derailed) as is a troublesome possibility with a U-shaped guiding tracks of the prior art, by the longitudinally spaced self-lubricating plastic claws defined by flanges 14 and guiding lingers 20 which freely allow longitudinal motion of member 10 with respect to member 44 but which bear against the under surface of ears 50 when any force tends to lift the drawer up.

In a like manner, the claws coacting with the ears 50 and under surface 40 of the drawer bottom contacting strip 12 prevent the drawer from tipping under its weight when it has been withdrawn past its center of gravity. As the most rearward claw 80 is positioned as close as `possible to the rear of the drawer, the drawer may be Vwithdrawn almost its entire length without tipping and `thereby disarranging the contents of the .drawer or allow- `ing the drawer to accidentally fall out. Thus, the claws and ears 50 assure that the drawer will remain substantially in a horizontal plane during operation and will allow more eifective use of the drawer because of its capability of being able -to almost completely expose its contents without tipping.

When the drawer 52 is glided to a vnear fully open position, out-stop boss 38 located on the lower surface 4) of strip 12 contacts the protruding head of screw 68. The contacting of the yieldable out-stop boss 38 with the protruding screw head is not enough to prevent withdrawal of the drawer from the frame; however, enough of a momentary resistance to motion is thereby presented that the use will be reminded of the amount of extension and will not accidentally completely withdraw the drawer from 'the frame.

Beside providing full length guiding, lift-up prevention and tipping prevention for the associated drawer, the comprehensive guiding system of the invention provides rigidity and dimensional stability for the drawer in that the drawer guide member is secured to both the drawer .front 54 and the drawer back S6 as by fasteners 64. This comprises a tension tie which aids conventional means in .preventing the loosening of the drawer front and dissociation of the drawer elements during the life of the furniture article. p

An often-voiced complaint of drawer users is that a particular drawer sticks vwhen humid conditions have caused it to swell from its original dimensions. The most common points of sticking are the upper edges of the drawer sides which bind against the furniture frame stringer over the drawer. With drawer guiding systems of the prior art, the drawer sides have had to tit snugly with the Stringer to limit the tipping of the drawer as it was withdrawn from the frame past its center of gravity and -to prevent Ithe spilling of the uppermost drawer contents when the drawer did tip. Because the system of this invention prevents lift-up and tipping without relying on the upper edges of the drawer sides, the sides can be made somewhat lower with respect to the overall drawer height, so that there is more clearance between the upper edges of the drawer sides and the lower surface of the Stringer 'which passes over the drawer, whereby all danger of the sides binding against the Stringer is effectively eliminated for thelife of the furniture article.

Since the drawer guide member 10 is preferably molded as a unitary member from a self-lubricating plastic material with a minimum area 0f contact between member 10 and member 44 being provided by utilizing narrow rails 'on the under surface of strip 12 and by using intermittent rather than continuous claws, a drawer having the guiding system of this invention associated therewith glides open and closed with less effort and less noise than drawers equipped with all wooden or metal guiding systems and with more positive control than the less comprehensive guiding systems of the prior art.

Although the inventionhas been shown positioned at the center of the under side of a drawer, a craftsman in the art will recognize that two or more laterally spaced guiding systems of the invention may be advantageously used with a drawer of greater than average width and also that, as an alternative, two of the systems of the invention may be placed on the drawer and furniture frame sides to provide comprehensive guiding action for a drawer.

Although an embodiment of the invention has been set forth to illustrate the principles of the invention, it will be realized that many additions, deletions and substitutions can be made in the embodiment shown and are within the contemplation of the invention and therefore the invention disclosed herein is limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims. i

We claim:

l. A comprehensive drawer guiding system comprising a self lubricating molded plastic drawer guide member and a track member, said drawer guide member being longitudinally slidable with respect to said track member, means molded on said guide member cooperating with means protruding from said track member preventing the accidental longitudinal withdrawal of said guide member from said track member, the two last-mentioned means -coacting when the guide member is nearly longitudinally withdrawn from the track member to slightly increase the longitudinal force necessary to further longitudinally withdraw the guide member in a longitudinal direction; said guide member being further withdrawable upon the application of slightly increased longitudinal force to intentionally longitudinally withdraw the guide member from the track member, means molded on said guide member cooperating with means formed on said track member substantially preventing vertical tipping and lifting up of said guide member with respect to said track member and means molded on said guide member centering said guide member with respect to said track member as said guide member is advanced from a position of less co-extension with said track member to a position of greater co-eXtension with said track member.

2. A comprehensive system :for guiding a drawer during the opening and closing thereof, said drawer being slidably positioned in a furniture frame compartment defined by side walls, a rear wall, an upper Stringer member and a lower Stringer member, said drawer having side members, a back member, a front member and a bottom member, said system comprising a drawer guide member and a track member, said drawer guide member and said track member each being substantially the same length as said drawer as measured from lthe front of said drawer to the back thereof, said drawer guide member being molded from a self-lubricating plastic material, said drawer guide member comprising a horizontal drawer bottom contacting element having two transversely spaced, substantially vertical, substantially parallel flanges depending therefrom at positions intermediate the width ,of said drawer bottom contacting element, said flanges extending longitudinally intermediate the ends of Said drawer bottom contacting element a distance less than the length of said drawer guide member so as to define a forward tabat the forward end of said drawer bottom contacting element, securement receiving means at the rearward end of said drawer bottom contacting element a boss integrally molded on said guide member depending therefrom between said flanges next the rear of said drawer guide member, first and second fastening means securing said drawer guide member to said drawer and dimensionally stabilizing said drawer, said rst fastening means passing through said forward tab into the under surface of said drawer front member and said second fastening means passing through said rear securement receiving means into said drawer back member, first and second securing means fastening said track member to said furniture frame, said rst securing means fastening the rearward end of said track member to Said furniture frame back member and said second securing means passing downwardly through the forward end of said track member into said lower Stringer in a manner such that said second securing means projects above the upper surface of said track member, said drawer guide member being easily longitudinally slidable on said track member from a position in which the associated drawer is fully closed to a position lwherein said boss on said drawer guide member contacts said protruding securing means on said track member substantially increasing resistance to further drawer extension.

3. A drawer guiding system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first and second means fastening the drawer guide member to the drawer are staples. Y

4. A device for preventing the lifting up, tipping and accidental withdrawal of a drawer slidably positioned in a furniture frame comprising a channel mounted on the under surface of said drawer and extending from the front of said drawer to the rear thereof in a direction substantially parallel to the sides of the drawer, and a substantially T-shaped track mounted on the furniture frame and extending from the front of said frame to the rear of said frame in a position so that the horizontal ears of said T-shaped track are partially enveloped by said channel, promoting longitudinal movement of the drawer with respect to the frame and restricting vertical movement therebetween, said track having means projecting from the upper surface thereof near the front of said frame and said channel having means projecting from the interior thereof near the back of said drawer, said means co-acting when the drawer is nearly withdrawn to increase the longitudinal force necessary to further withdraw the drawer in a longitudinal direction.

5. A drawer guide comprising a molded strip of selflubricating plastic mountable on the under surface of a drawer, two laterally spaced longitudinally extending flanges integrally molded with and depending from said strip, longitudinally spaced fingers projecting inwardly from the facing surfaces of said flanges defining a channel with said fianges and said strip, an accidental drawer withdrawal preventing iboss integrally molded with and projecting from said strip within said channel near one end thereof and at least one drawer centering boss integrally molded with and projecting from each of said facing surfaces of said flanges within said channel near the opposite end thereof.

6. A drawer guide comprising a molded strip of selflubricating plastic material mountable on the under surface of a drawer, two laterally spaced longitudinally extending iianges integrally molded with and depending from said strip, longitudinally spaced strengthening ribs extending between said flanges and said strip, a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally extending narrow rails integrally molded with and depending a relatively short distance from said strip intermediate and parallel to said flanges, longitudinally spaced fingers projecting inwardly from the facing surfaces of said flanges defining a channel with said flanges, said rails and said strip, an accidental drawer withdrawal preventing boss integrally molded with and projecting from said strip within said channel near one end of said channel and a pair of drawer centering bosses integrally molded with and projecting from the facing surfaces of said flanges within said channel near the opposite end thereof.

7. A self-lubricating molded plastic drawer guide comprising a fiat strip mem er, t-wo laterally spaced, longitudinally extending flanges integrally depending from said strip for a major portion thereof, an upstanding transversely extending fiange molded on the opposite side of said strip at one end thereof, a plurality of longitudinally spaced, laterally extending, substantially horizontal fingers integrally molded on the facing surfaces of said flanges near the lower edges of said anges, a plurality of'laterally spaced, longitudinally extending rails integrally depending from said strip between said flanges, said rails depending a shorter distance from said strip than said anges, nub-like drawer centering means integrally molded on the facing surfaces of said flanges near the opposite end of said drawer guide from said transversely extending flange, and nub-like accidental drawer removal preventing means integrally molded on said strip between said anges near the same end of said drawer guide as said transversely extending flange,

8. A self-lubricating molded plastic drawer guide comprising a flat strip member; two laterally spaced, longitudinally extending flange-like members integrally projecting from said strip for a major portion thereof; a plurality of longitudinally spaced, substantially horizontal fingers integrally molded on the facing surfaces of said flange-like members near the outer extent of said frangelike members from said strip; a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally extending rails integrally projecting from said strip between the ange-like members, said raiis projecting a shorter distance from the strip than the flange-like members; nub-like drawer centering means integrally molded on the facing surfaces of said flangelike members near a first end of said guide; and nnb-like accidental drawer removal preventing means integrally molded on said strip between said flange-like members near the opposite end of said drawer guide from said drawer centering means.

9. A comi rehensive drawer guiding system including a track member and a guide member; said guide member comprising a flat strip member, two laterally spaced longitudinally extending flange-like members integrally projecting from said strip for a major portion of the length thereof, a plurality of longitudinally spaced, substantially horizontal fingers integrally molded on the facing surfaces of said flange-like members near the outer extent of said frange-like members from said strips, and a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally extending rails integrally projecting from the strip between the flangelike members, said rails projecting a shorter distance from the strip than the flange-like members and materially laterally spaced from said fiange-like members toward the longitudinal center line of said strip; said track member comprising a rigid elongated member having a generally T-shaped cross section and arranged to be mounted so as to present its wider portion for cooperative sliding engagement in the channel defined by the fingers, angelike members, laterally spaced rails and strip member Vof said guide member.

1G. A comprehensive drawer guiding system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the guide member is integrally molded of self lubricating thermoplastic material and includes warning button means integrally projecting outwardly from. the fiat strip between the flanges near a first end of the strip and means projecting outwardly from the track member near the cooperatively opposite end thereof and arranged to slidingly engage the warning button when the track member is nearly non coextensive with the guide member to slightly increase the force necessary to further longitudinally withdraw the track member from the guide member and thus to provide a warning of the relative position of the track member with respect to the guide member and thus prevent accidental withdrawal of the track member from the guide member, yet allow intentional longitudinal withdrawal of the track member from the guide member upon the application of slightly increased longitudinal withdrawal force thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 608,130 7/98 Kandle. 2,559,322 7/51 Skamser 30S-3.6 X 2,822,232 2/58 Lhota 30S-3.6 X 3,059,986 10/62 Miller 30S-3.6 X

ROEERT C. RIORBON, Primary Examiner.

FRANK SUSKO, Examiner. 

1. A COMPREHENSIVE DRAWER GUIDING SYSTEM COMPRISING A SELF LUBRICATING MOLDED PLASTIC DRAWER GUIDE MEMBER AND A TRACK MEMBER, SAID DRAWER GUIDE MEMBER BEING LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID TRACK MEMBER, MEANS MOLDED ON SAID GUIDE MEMBER COOPERATING WITH MEANS PROTRUDING FROM SAID TRACK MEMBER PREVENTING THE ACCIDENTAL LONGITUDINAL WITHDRAWAL OF SAID GUIDE MEMBER FROM SAID TRACK MEMBER, THE TWO LAST-MENTIONED MEANS COACTING WHEN THE GUIDE MEMBER IS NEARLY LONGITUDINALLY WITHDRAWN FROM THE TRACK MEMBER TO SLIGHTLY INCREASE THE LONGITUDINAL FORCE NECESSARY TO FURTHER LONGITUDINALLY WITHDRAW THE GUIDE MEMBER IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION; SAID GUIDE MEMBER BEING FURTHER WITHDRAWABLE UPON THE APPLICATION OF SLIGHTLY INCREASED LONGITUDINAL FORCE TO INTEN- 